The 2024 Apple Event - What’s New and What’s Happening

September 13th, 2024

by David Bell

CEO at Gummicube, Inc.

Didn’t have the chance to catch Apple’s latest event presentation from this week? No worries – we’ve got you covered with all the latest Apple updates and how they are anticipated to impact app developers and their App Store Optimization strategies. From new hardware features directly controlling in-app functionality to new Apple native app upgrades with the potential to make waves for third-party app alternatives, we’ve got plenty of new opportunities (and a few challenges) to explore.

iPhone 16

We can’t talk about Apple updates without mentioning the most highly anticipated release each year – the new iPhone. The iPhone 16 (set to release in stores on September 20th, with pre-orders available as early as September 13th) boasts a number of new upgrades. Fun, bright new colors aside (hard to miss the new ultramarine shade!), new features like the now customizable Action button, Camera Control upgrades, and the 30% faster A18 chip open up new possibilities not only for users, but developers as well.

With the new updates to the Action button, Apple states that you will be able to “perform a variety of functions with just a press.” The Action button can now be customized as a shortcut to open a number of different apps, such as a calendar app during the day or a flashlight app during the night. It can also access some in-app functionality. Apple uses the FordPass app as an example during their presentation: lock and unlock your car door by simply pressing the Action button. What is not yet clear is what limitations will apply with the Action button. Will it be compatible with any app or does it only work with a pre-approved list of apps partnering with or developed directly by Apple? What in-app features are compatible or even make sense to pair with the Action button? Time will tell as more information becomes available to developers.

Also added onto the iPhone 16 will be the new Camera Control feature. This upgrade allows users to control various aspects of their camera quickly and conveniently – simply slide your finger to adjust different settings. Apple also says this new feature will impact how Apple Intelligence works with the camera through a set of visual intelligence features, such as taking a photo and using it to create an event in your calendar or to identify a dog breed. Further elaboration on the entire scope of this functionality is still to come. One question that probably comes to mind for developers of third-party camera apps is: will my app be compatible with the new Camera Control feature? If it isn’t, they may be looking at a new challenge for acquiring or retaining users who choose to embrace this feature. Specialized apps such as those that focus on photo-based identification will also need to develop strategies to set themselves apart.

The new A18 chip, powered by Apple silicon, is set to improve performance, memory and energy efficiency. Apple claims that the chip will also help iPhone 16 compete with even high-end desktop PCs, making it perfect for graphic-intense games and apps. As companies continue to return to their office spaces, whether that be in a hybrid or fully in-office capacity, workers will continue to embrace mobile gaming for its on-the-go capabilities. With the ability to now take bigger and better games with them, casual or mobile-only games may have new competition in the App Store realm with an increase in AAA title availability. However, if game developers can embrace this new compatibility, there may be a number of opportunities for larger mobile game development in the future.

iOS 18 will also be adding a few smaller updates to their existing native app suite. New ways to customize texts with text effects, detailed trail network maps, and new safety features such as SOS live video sharing and roadside assistance will be added. Third-party apps in the messenger, hiking, GPS, and safety fields will want to keep an eye out for a shift in their iOS user base.

All of these new features are great and show opportunity for a variety of new updates within app development, but how does this impact our ASO opportunities? In terms of on-page optimization changes, the iPhone 16, alongside the iPhone 14 Pro Max and iPhone 15 Plus & Pro Max models, now have the option of displaying 6.9" screenshots in the search results and product page. The 6.9” screenshots will use either 1290 x 2796 or 1320 x 2868 dimensions and are an optional size. Only one size of screenshots (either 6.9” or 6.5”) are now required and other devices will scale accordingly (6.5" will scale from 6.9", 5.5" now scales from 5.8", etc.). Additionally, you will only need to have one iPad screenshot size as well. 13" iPad screenshots have been added (gone are the previously required 12.9" screenshots) with dimensions of 2064 x 2752 or 2048 x 2732. The same will apply for preview videos where you will no longer need to provide unique sizes for each screenshot set.

Apple Watch Series 10

Apple showcased a number of updates not only for the iPhone but its associated accessories as well. The Apple Watch Series 10 (set to release with the same dates as the iPhone 16) focused in its portion of the presentation primarily on a very specific demographic – fitness enthusiasts. More Apple Watch users mean more opportunity for fitness apps (workout trackers, heart monitors, hiking maps, etc.) to win over new users. However, updates to Apple’s native apps will provide new challenges for these apps as well. In their demonstration, Apple highlighted a number of use cases that third-party apps might normally fulfill but that are available now through Apple Watch functionality directly. This includes features such as sleep, heart, and menstrual cycle monitoring. Also added is a depth gauge and water pressure sensor – a perfect pairing for apps centered around water-based activities like swimming, snorkeling, surfing, and more.

With an increase in screen size, this could impact the adoption rate of different apps for casual users as well – more visible lines of text could make texting, news, and search engine apps a viable option for those previously unable or unwilling to use them on Apple Watch.

Apple AI – Apple Intelligence

The iPhone 16 will be the first iPhone to really focus in on AI compatibility – something that every big tech company is trying to capitalize on and is anticipated to continue to be a focal point in the tech space for years to come. Apple’s version of AI (branded Apple Intelligence) was announced earlier this year at WWDC24 and is Apple’s answer to the ever growing-in-popularity AI from competitors like OpenAI’s ChatGPT.

During the event, Apple showcased a variety of examples of use cases for Apple Intelligence on iPhone, including text message and photo analysis to search for information and pictures and various improvements to Siri’s functionality. Additionally, Apple Watch highlights machine learning capabilities for speech recognition through the translation app and health features such as reminding users to take their medication and heart monitoring for atrial fibrillation.

While some early critics like Vox are reporting on Apple Intelligence as “magically mediocre,” it is inevitable that the features and apps compatible with Apple’s new AI will only continue to grow alongside the AI industry as a whole.

Apple Intelligence will begin to roll out next month (October 2024) as a free update for devices using iOS 18.1, iPadOS 18.1, and macOS Sequoia 15.1. Third-party apps that focus on AI as one (or all) of their primary features will need to keep an eye out on their iOS users to see how this impacts them and how they can better compete and differentiate themselves from the native AI available on their iPhone by default – or risk being thrown to the uninstall graveyard.

September 2024 Apple Event - What You Need to Know

Like always, Apple Events deliver a combination of exciting opportunities and new challenges, and this one was no different. What isn’t new is that third-party apps will have to continue to compete with the default apps provided by Apple, and a number of these new updates may impact user acquisition and retention in the future now that they’ve been presented with a possibly more convenient, built-in solution. Differentiating and improving features to surpass the default app options will be crucial, and ASO stays as important as ever in accomplishing this. Conveying this message to users through the product page and search results as well as offering fresh, new updates in the form of In-App Events, promotions, app updates, and more will need to stay at top of mind for app developers as the iPhone 16 and Apple Watch Series 10 set to release later this month.

Don’t forget to keep an eye out on our blog for more upcoming information on the iPhone 16, Apple Watch Series 10, and iOS 18. Gummicube will continue to keep you updated on the latest and greatest to hit Apple and Google in the app development and ASO world.

How the latest App Store Connect Updates to iOS may impact ASO

Posted on August 13th, 2024

Learn how iOS App Store Connect updates can impact ASO with App Store Featuring Nominations, improved TestFlight, and deep links for better app promotion.